Will they be ready for Kindergarten?
By Jami West

AT YOU'RE INVITED CHILDREN'S CENTER (SEE LINK) WE DO NOT SPEND OUR TIME WITH THE CHILDREN MAKING SURE THEY KNOW LETTERS AND NUMBERS OR THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO WRITE THEIR NAME, OR IDENTIFY COLORS. WE KNOW THAT THESE THINGS WILL COME. HOW DO WE KNOW?

BECAUSE OUR ENVIRONMENT IS SET UP TO PROVIDE MORE THAN ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING, READING, COUNTING, FIGURING THINGS OUT, MUSIC, BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH PRINT, SEQUENCING AND MORE. WHEN THE CHILD IS READY IT IS THERE FOR THEM TO ENGAGE AND EXPERIENCE
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WHAT WE DO, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, IS HELP GET THEM READY TO BE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE. HOW DO WE DO THAT?

BY LOVING THEM TRULY AND UNCONDITIONALLY

BY KNOWING THEM AND RESPECTING THEM

BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE RISKS

ALLOWING THEM TO DIRECT THEIR OWN LEARNING AND OFFERING ACTIVITIES WHERE THE END RESULT IS NOT DETERMINED BY ANYONE BUT THEM. BY GIVING THEM FREEDOM TO BE WHO THEY ARE

BY OFFERING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FREE TIME, AND BY KNOWING THAT, DEVELOPMENTALLY, EACH AND EVERY CHILD IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.

You are your child's best advocate!

I was blessed by Bev Bos's message I today. If you are not familiar with her name, I encourage you to read any of her books.

For the past several years I have encouraged parents to be their child (ren)'s advocate, telling them how special and unique their child is and how it is our job to encourage and develop them as special and unique individuals. Unfortunately our society (public schools) is most often providing environments where children are being taught in a "one size fits all" style of teaching and curriculum. I believe most teachers want to provide for individual learning styles and personalities but the requirements of the job do not make this so possible.

My son's Patric's school years experience, elementary and now in high school has been an ongoing struggle to help teachers appreciate who he is was and is, an energetic, super friendly, always happy, talkative, hard to keep focused, needing extra help kinda kid.

Bev's message shared a quote by Docia Zavitkovsky, some of you might remember Docia as a past President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She coined the line, “our job is not to get children ready for school, but to get schools ready for children.” I was so tickled when I read this because it is so similar to the truth I share over and over with parents and told myself (and many teachers) over over again in my sons life.

"it is not your child's job to change for the teacher, it is the teachers job to change for the child"

I encourage all parents - be your child's advocate. We certainly provide our children with clear, healthy and consistent boundaries with love AND nurture, develop and encourage the wonderful unique human being that your child is!

To Ms. Zavitkovsky and Bev Bos, thank you for sharing your wisdom

PS - I haven't forgotten about sharing and Im sorry!